Apparatus for controlling railway switches



April 15, 1930. CQBQURN 1,754,742

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed May 14, 1929 P E Q II"' i i LJ- 1 I l g: a I \"Q; 1 N I F 1 A 1 Q,

Q 3% &

N lNVENTQR 4... I ZZZ-5D D,F.C0bo0rr [q aam, Q N

Patented Apr. 15, 1930 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DELBERT F. COBOURN, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH 8s SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN SYLVANIA APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING RAILWAY SWITCHES Application filed May 14,

My invention relates to apparatus for controlling railway switches, and particularly to apparatus for normally controlling a switch from a distant point, but for, at times,

modifying such control in accordance with traffic conditions adjacent the switch,

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic View showing one form of apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference characters 1 and 1" designate the track rails of a stretch of railway track which is provided with a switch 3. Switch 8 as here shown is operated by a motor M, which comprises a cylinder 5, containing a reciprocable piston 6 operatively connected with switch 3.

1 Fluid under pressure, usually compressed air, is at times supplied to one end or the other end of cylinder 5 from a suitable source,

not shownin the drawing, and the supply of such fluid is controlled by a switch valve de signated, in general, by the reference character K. This valve comprises a normal magnet N and a reverse magnet B.

As shown in the drawing, the switch oc= cupies its normal position. If, now, reverse so magnet It is energized, fluid pressure will be supplied to motor M to operate switch 3 to its reverse position. If, when the switch occupies its reverse position, magnet N is energized, valve K will supply'fiuid pressure to motor M to restore switch 3 to its normal position. One form of switch valve which will operate in the manner described is dis- 7 closed and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States, No..1,238,888, issued Septemto her 4, 1917, to J. P. Coleman, for railway traffic controlling apparatus.

Switch 3 operates a contact arm 11 which arranged to engage a. fixed contact 1116111:

her 11% when the switch occupies its normal position. When the switch is reversed, contact '1111 remains closed until the switch reaches approximately its middle position,

whereupon contact 1111 opens and con tact 11-, 11 closes, the latter contact remainin'g closed while the switch 'co'mplen 1929. Serial No. 362,925.

The operation of contacts 11-11 and 11 llflwhen the switch returns to its normal posltion 1s just the reverse of the operation 1 of these contacts for a movement of the switch in the opposite direction, and will therefore be understood without further explanation.

Switch valve K is controlled in part by a manually operable lever D which may be one of a number of such levers located in a control cabin at a point remote from switch 3. Lever D operates a contact 16 which is closed whilejleverD is in its normal positlon, and contact 15 which is closed while lever D is in its reverse position.

It is sometimes desirable, when the railway switch is tovbe operated froma point at some distance away, as in the present instance, to provide apparatus for preventing operation of the switch by the lever when a train is with- 111 a given distance of the switch. For this purpose, section AB is insulated from adoining portions of the stretch of track by means of insulated oints 2. Track battery 4 is connected across the rails adjacent one end of the section, and a track relay G is connected across the rails adjacent the opposite end of the section, relay G operating to modify the control of switch valve K by lever D when section AB is occupied.

As shown in the drawing, lever D occupies its normal position, section A-B is unoccupied, and switch 3 occupies its normal position.- If the operator in charge of lever D wishes to reverse the switch, he reverses lever D. The closing of contact 15 of lever D completes acircuit over which current flows from battery 62, through contact 15, contact 18 of relay G, wire 19, reverse magnet R,'and wire 22 back to battery 62. Motor M is therefore actuated to move switch 3 to its reverse position.

If the operator wishes to restore switch 3 to its normal position, he returns lever D to its battery 62. Motor M then restores switch 3 to its normal position.

It should be observed that the control circuits for both the normal and the reverse operation of the switch, as just described, are carried over front contacts of relay G. If, therefore, a train occupies section A-B, so that relay G is de-energized, switch 3 cannot be controlled by lever D.

The apparatus thus far described is disclosed, with similar reference characters, and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,701,080, issued February 5, 1929, to H. S. Loomis, for apparatus for controlling railway switches.

The apparatus is arranged in such manner that if relay G becomes de-energized after the operation of lever D, and before switch 3 has completed its movement to the corresponding position, current will be supplied over an auxiliary circuit to the switch valve to move the switch to an extreme position, thereby preventing a possibility of a train or car moving into the switch when the points of the switch occupy their intermediate positions. This auxiliary circuit also energizes magnet N or R for causing motor M to positively hold switch 3 in a corresponding position while a train occupies section A-B.

In the Loomis patent to which I have referred, an auxiliary circuit for su plying current to magnet N or R of valve I when relay G becomes de-energized, passes from wire 43, through contact 11-11 or l1-11" of switch 3, and thence through a back point of contact or 18, respectively, of relay G. In my invention, an auxiliary circuit for the same purpose passes from wire 43, through back contact of relay G, wire 61, and thence through contact 11 or 11 of switch 3. In usual practice, relay G is placed either in the same control cabin as lever D, or in some other central location at a distance from the switch controlled by relay G. It is clear that when relay G is thus at some distance from a switch which it controls, a )paratus comprising my invention requires ewer wires between the location of relay G and the switch than does apparatus comprising the arrangement provided in the Loomis patent.

In explaining the operation of the auxiliary circuits shown in the accompanying drawing, I will assume that switch lever D has been moved to the reverse position, and that motor M is operating to move switch 3 to its reverse position. I will also assume that relay G becomes de-energized, as by the entrance of a train or car into section AB, before movement of switch 3 is completed. If relay G becomes de-eiiergized before contact 11-1l of switch 3 opens, current from battery 62 will flow through wire 43, contact 60 of relay G, wire 61, contact 11-11 of switch 3, normal ma at N, and wire 22 back to battery 62. Switch 3 will therefore be restored to its normal position. If, however, contact 11-11 of switch 3 has closed before the de-energization of relay G, current will flow from battery 62, through wire 43, contact 60 of relay G, wire 61, contact 1111" of switch 3, reverse magnet R, and wire 22 back to battery 62. Motor M will therefore complete the movement of switch 3 to its reverse position.

Similarly, if relay G becomes tie-energized after the operation of lever D from its reverse to its normal position, and before the switch has reached a corresponding position, current will be supplied from battery 62, over wire 43, to restore the switch to its reverse position or to complete the movement of the switch to its normal position, depending upon whether contact 1111 or 1111 of switch 3 is closed at the time relay G becomes tie-energized.

Apparatus embodying my invention is particularly suitable for, though not limited to, use in railway classification yards where a plurality of switches similar to switch 3 are controlled from a central control cabin. It will be plain, from the foregoing description, that in such installations when a train or a car is in the track section, such as section AB which is shown in the drawing, it will be impossible to move the switch away from the position which it then occupies. If however, the movement of the switch has begun before the train or car enters section AB, de-energization of track relay G will cause the switch to be automatically moved to one extreme posit-ion or the other.

It should be noted that with apparatus embodying my invention, the operation of lever D, while relay G is de-energized, does not effeet the apparatus. When relay G again becomes energized, however, the control of switch valve K will be restored to the switch lever D, and motor M will then be operated to move switch 3 to the position corresponding to that of lever D.

Although I have herein shown and de scribed only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a switch valve compris ing a first and a second magnet, a railway switch operable to a first or a second position as controlled by said first or said second magnet respectively, a relay controlled by trafiic conditions and having a front contact and a back contact, a switch contact closed when said switch is in said first position, a second switch contact closed when said switch is in said second position, a first circuit for said first magnet controlled by said front contact of said relay, a second circuit for said first magnet including said back contact of said relay and said first switch contact, a circuit for said second magnet, and a second circuit for said second magnet including said back contact of said relay and said second switch contact.

2. In combination, a switch valve comprising a normal and a reverse magnet, a railway switch controlled by said valve, a relay controlled by traflic conditions, a first switch contact closed when said switch is normal, a second switch contact closed when said switch is reversed, a first circuit for said normal magnet controlled by a front contact of said relay, a second circuit for said normal magnet including a back contact of said relay and said first switch contact, a first circuit for said reverse magnet controlled by a front contact of said relay, and a second circuit for said reverse magnet including said back contact of said relay and said second switch contact.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DELBERT F. OOBOURN. 

